Abstract
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been used in an extensive study of the microstructure of unirradiated, high burnup irradiated and transient-tested samples of LWR nuclear fuels. The object of the study was to determine the behaviour of the solid and gaseous fission products under a variety of conditions, and their interactions with the fuel microstructure. Quantitative determinations were made of fission gas bubble densities and size distributions, the related local microswelling and the average dislocation densities at a number of radial positions. Some of the implications of these results on fuel behaviour under steady state and transient conditions up to about 4.5% FIMA burnup are mentioned. Some observations relating to the change in fuel microstructure at the pellet rim are discussed.
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